1. Field
Examplary embodiments relate to an ultrasonic probe apparatus and an ultrasonic imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An imaging apparatus captures an image of an object using visible light, infrared light, radiation, ultrasonic waves, microwaves, or Free Induction Decay (FID) signals derived from a magnetic resonance phenomenon, and generates an internal or external image of the object. Examples of the imaging apparatus may include a camera, an infrared camera, a radiation imaging apparatus, an ultrasonic imaging apparatus, etc.
The ultrasonic imaging apparatus obtains images by capturing an internal image of the object using ultrasonic waves, and displays the obtained images for user recognition. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus directly irradiates ultrasonic waves to a target site contained in the object, collects the ultrasonic waves reflected from the target site, and thus generates an ultrasound image using the collected ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic imaging apparatus may collect ultrasonic waves generated from a target site contained in the object using laser beams or the like, and may thus generate an ultrasound image using the collected ultrasonic waves.
The ultrasonic imaging apparatus may irradiate ultrasonic waves to the inside of the object using an ultrasonic probe or may receive ultrasonic waves from the inside of the object using the ultrasonic probe. There are various kinds of ultrasonic probes according to categories of objects and categories of the image-captured parts of the objects or according to categories of target sites contained in the objects.